Dave’s Live from Ryndam Southern Caribbean Feb 16 – March 2, 2014

[Desdemona01]

You didn't want the cappuccino bomb? :eek: Then couldja order one for me??? Please?

 

Ruth, I completely agree! That may be the best dessert we've ever had on a HAL ship, or almost anywhere. We've been disappointed that it hasn't been on the menu (at least for us) for a few years.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Your St Lucia tour sounds wonderful. We used to do tours like that -- not any more.

I wish that HAL would dock at Pointe Seraphine. It can hold more than 1 ship.

[cruisinbulldog]

I wish that HAL would dock at Pointe Seraphine. It can hold more than 1 ship.[/font]

 

The Ryndam docked at Pointe Seraphine earlier this month because the Noordam was at Carrenage. We also shared the Pointe with a X ship.

[RetiredMustang]

delete

Edited February 24, 2014 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 24, at sea (cont.)

 

(Sorry, had an issue with the previous post)

 

Today is:

 

 

I thought I would post a few more photos from around the ship. Here are ones of the Lido and aft pools:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 24, at sea (cont.)

 

Here are photos of the Mix, starting with the beer area:

 

 

 

 

Here is the martini bar area:

 

 

 

The champagne bar area:

 

 

 

And, the piano bar area:

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Mix bar menu page 1

 

The menu in the Mix is a bit different than the one in the other bars. Here is the Mix menu, in several posts:

 

Front and back covers:

 

 

 

Rest of the pages:

 

 

 

 

More in the next posts,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Mix bar menu page 2 of 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Mix bar menu page 3 of 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[bajacali]

Thank you for taking us along on your cruise. I am really enjoying your daily adventures and photos. This question has no doubt been answered but I can't find the answer so will ask again. Looking at the bar menu that you just posted, I notice "Propers". These drinks include vodka, rum etc.

The prices average $5.95 or $6.95. We have the Explore 4 drink package for our upcoming cruise. Limited is $7.00 per drink. My husband likes Grey Goose vodka with tonic water. My question is, if you order the Grey Goose, do you have to then order a mix as well (tonic water) thereby resulting in two beverages per order rather than one? We are allowed 15 beverages per day but we drink a lot of coffees, soda and water throughout the day. I don't see anything that indicates mixers are included in the cost of a drink. Hope you can answer. Thanks

[POA1]

The prices average $5.95 or $6.95. We have the Explore 4 drink package for our upcoming cruise. Limited is $7.00 per drink. My husband likes Grey Goose vodka with tonic water. My question is, if you order the Grey Goose, do you have to then order a mix as well (tonic water) thereby resulting in two beverages per order rather than one? We are allowed 15 beverages per day but we drink a lot of coffees, soda and water throughout the day. I don't see anything that indicates mixers are included in the cost of a drink. Hope you can answer. Thanks

 

They always included the mixer in the past, as long as its was soda, Coke, tonic, etc.

 

We're boarding the Noordam on Friday. I'll be sure to post the answer for you by Friday afternoon.

[bajacali]

They always included the mixer in the past, as long as its was soda, Coke, tonic, etc.

 

We're boarding the Noordam on Friday. I'll be sure to post the answer for you by Friday afternoon.

 

Thanks very much. Will be anxious to hear how it all works. I would find it hard to understand if they charge for mixers so hope that isn't the case. I wouldn't think the majority of people drink straight alcohol unless they are having a martini or liquor or cognac etc. I know some people drink on the rocks but many drink with a mixer such as tonic or colas. I am hoping HAL wouldn't use the Explore 4 perk to capitalize on those who drink alcohol with mixers.

 

I really shouldn't have posted my question on this post. Apologize for that.

[RetiredMustang]

... I would find it hard to understand if they charge for mixers so hope that isn't the case. I wouldn't think the majority of people drink straight alcohol unless they are having a martini or liquor or cognac etc. I know some people drink on the rocks but many drink with a mixer such as tonic or colas. I am hoping HAL wouldn't use the Explore 4 perk to capitalize on those who drink alcohol with mixers.

 

...

 

 

I asked the bartender in the Mix this afternoon. She said most mixers were free (as in gin and tonic, rum and Coke, etc.). She did say that orange juice was 50 cents extra (i.e., in a screwdriver). So, the answer is -- probably no charge, but better ask to be sure when you order.

 

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 24, at sea (cont.)

 

We enjoyed a very relaxing day at sea. The morning we spent mostly watching the hundreds of flying fish, and the birds trying to catch them (sometimes with success).

After lunch, I did some taking pictures and then we relaxed on the balcony until time to change into formal gear.

 

We had a bet going as to the third formal night menu. I said we would probably have lobster thermidor on the menu, and DW said surf and turf. She won, but it only cost me a glass of wine.

 

Here are the dinner menus:

 

 

 

For starter, I had the Nicoise salad instead of the shrimp cocktail (and probably messing with Carol’s stats :D):

 

 

For the entrée, it was surf and turf:

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 24, at sea (cont.)

Here is the dessert menu:

We both had the featured pumpkin-chocolate cake, which we presume is a creation of Jacques Torres. It was wonderful. It was like a pumpkin spice-cake muffin, with dried cherries and bits of chocolate. There was a chocolate sauce over the top, as well as pumpkin coulis and a sort of peanut brittle on the plate. Delicious!

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 25, Willemstad, Curacao

Today is:

Here are the photos of today’s program:

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 25, Willemstad, Curacao (cont.)

We have an excursion booked that is to take us to the Curacao Museum, the distillery where they make the Curacao liqueur, and the Hato Caves. We had not seen the caves as an option on earlier visits to Willemstad, but they sounded interesting, so we signed up.

Here are the Willemstad info sheets from the Explorer:

(It looks like there was glitch in the printing, because the descriptions on the first page seem to be missing the letters and numbers that refer to locations on the map.)

More later,

Dave

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful Dave

The Land and Sea item on the menu sure looks like a very small piece of beef and a tiny prawn.

[bajacali]

I asked the bartender in the Mix this afternoon. She said most mixers were free (as in gin and tonic, rum and Coke, etc.). She did say that orange juice was 50 cents extra (i.e., in a screwdriver). So, the answer is -- probably no charge, but better ask to be sure when you order.

 

Dave

 

Thanks very much. I appreciate you asking the question. Really enjoying your daily photos and reports. Enjoy.

[innlady1]

For the entrée, it was surf and turf:

 

 

More later,

Dave

 

Your post reminded me! I meant to report that the lobster HAL is serving now is indeed from the Northeast waters. Guess this is all part of their sustainable seafood program. Now that they're serving "the good stuff", I finally had it on our recent cruises. No turf...just the surf!

Edited February 25, 2014 by innlady1

[RuthC]

Wonderful Dave

The Land and Sea item on the menu sure looks like a very small piece of beef and a tiny prawn.

 

Are we looking at the same picture? :confused: I'm seeing what looks to be about 4 oz. of beef, and a rather large curled up lobster tail.

There are many courses, but if that's not enough food, more can be ordered.

[innlady1]

I take photos of our meals on HAL - and just checked mine from Maasdam and from Noordam. If I knew how to post them here, I would do so. They were quite sizeable. I'd say the tail from a 1 1/2 pounder.

[RetiredMustang]

Are we looking at the same picture? :confused: I'm seeing what looks to be about 4 oz. of beef, and a rather large curled up lobster tail.

There are many courses, but if that's not enough food, more can be ordered.

 

I realize that scale may be a little hard to tell with a photo (aside from the fact that the plate size tells you it is not a two-pound steak, or a two-ounce one either). The dish actually was a steak of about 4-6 ounces, and two grilled prawns, about the size of the shrimp they serve in the shrimp cocktail -- large as shrimp go, but not huge. There was no lobster.

 

Dave

Edited February 25, 2014 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 25, Willemstad, Curacao (cont.)

Our excursion left on time – about 30 of us walked from the pier to an awaiting bus and were driven through parts of Willemstad to the Curacao Musuem:

Our guide said this used to be a military quarantine hospital, and it still had some of the old furniture and fixtures. The museum collection was small but pretty good, but I found the old furniture and kitchen of interest as well. The beautiful old mahogany furniture must be worth a fortune:

More in the next post,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Feb. 25, Willemstad, Curacao (cont.)

We then traveled north, just beyond the international airport to the Hato Cave attraction:

The limestone caves are actually quite extensive – our guide said they go for several kilometers, but only a few hundred were open/easily passable. They had several interesting formations, and a colony of bats. To avoid blinding the bats and to preserve the caves from flashes, photography was allowed only in one section which had a natural opening where light came through. I took a couple of shots:

There were 49 steep steps from the complex to the cave entrance, and a few dozen more shallow steps inside, so consider if you can do the steps if you are thinking of taking this excursion. Inside the cave was humid and warm. There is a small bar/gift shop at the complex, so someone not up to the steps could wait for a companion who went into the caves.

More in the next post,

Dave